Sunday, October 8, 2017

INVINCIBLE Part Five: Ritual

Lee
beheld Zhang with eyes aflame, and when he spoke he struggled to keep the anger
leaking from his voice.

“Ensign
Zhang, you dueled a martial artist on the street, killing him. This provoked
his friends, who attacked you, forcing you to kill them all. Is that correct?”

“It
was an assassination attempt. Mojian Han himself was on the scene.”

“An
assassin would just walk up to you and challenge you to a duel? This isn’t a xiake
story, and my men found no sign of Mojian Han.”

“Han
threw a smoke bomb and fled.” Zhang glanced at the constable next to him. “Sergeant,
please show the Xianzhang what you found at the scene.”

The
constable held a cloth-wrapped bundle in his hand. He placed it in his palm and
carefully unwrapped it, revealing five smooth white pebbles. Lee leaned in,
squinting at them.

“What
are these?” Lee asked.

“They
are called ruyi pearls. These are anqi, weapons for assassination. The
pearls are held between the fingers, and launched by clenching your hand into a
fist. Excellent at distracting your enemy long enough to land a killing blow.
Launched with enough force, they can penetrate throats, eyes and skulls. The
challenger had five of these in each hand, and flung them at me in the opening
stage of the confrontation.

“This
was not a duel. It was an assassination disguised as a duel. If I had walked
away, he would have struck me in the back.”

Lee
pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. His voice turned cold.

“And
why would someone do something like this?” Lee asked.

“A
duel between martial artists would not invite official retaliation from the
Shenwujun.”

“Even
if you lost?”

“Our
code of conduct is extremely strict. Any Shenwujun idiotic enough to engage in
pointless duels automatically ceases to be one.”

That
was the official stance, of course. No Shenwujun would ever count on
another Shenwujun who would not avenge him.

“Ah.”

“Since
the duelist failed, Mojian Han went to his fallback plan: sending his
henchmen to kill me.”

“Which
also failed.”

“So
he fled.” Zhang grunted. “Coward.”

One
of the constables on duty twitched his lip.

“Seems
even Han the Demon Sword won’t fight Zhang the Invincible.”

“Or
maybe he is hiding what his mojian can do, and biding his time until he
has the upper hand.”

“You
don’t know what it can do?”

“Our
intelligence on him is sketchy. What do you have on him?”

“Rumors,
nothing more. Some say the sword was forged in the Underworld, giving Han
supernatural powers. Others claim the sword drinks the blood of his enemies and
absorbs their strength. But they all agree that Han is a fearsome swordsman.”

“It
might be a magic weapon, hand-crafted and enchanted to fit the user. The Grand
Union gifts them to their finest soldiers.”

“How
do you know?”

“I
fought someone with a similar weapon before, during the last invasion.”

“You
mean the Battle of Three Rivers? Where you earned the title of Wudi?”

“Yes.
The captain of the enemy vanguard had a mojian too. He cleaved through
our front line as easily as lifting a hand, and shrugged off everything our
sorcerers could throw at him. Very similar to what we know about Mojian Han.
If the Union were supporting Mojian Han, it wouldn’t be out of the
question for them to give him a magic weapon.”

“This
is the first time I’ve heard of the Union supporting rebels like this.”

“Me
too. Does Your Excellency have any new intelligence about the rebels for me?”

“Alas,
none. There are rumors of rebels in the district, but no substance.”

Zhang
frowned mightily. Lee coughed hastily.

“I
mean, no reliable information. Nothing a Shenwujun like you can act on.”

“I’ll
be the judge of that. Tell me what you’ve heard.”

“Rebel
activity has died down in recent days. Other than the attempt on your life,
they haven’t done anything at all. Farmers, hunters and herbalists claim they’ve
seen armed men wandering around about in Wangzheng Valley, but the internal
troops haven’t found any trace of these men.”

“Where
is the valley?”

“North
of here, about two hundred li. If you’re thinking of going there, be careful.
It straddles the border with the Union. Wangliang raiders have infiltrated the
Empire from there in the past.”

“Thank
you for your advice.”

“Will
you be headed there?”

Zhang
shook his head.

“Not
yet. I have other business to attend to.”

#

Zhang
returned to the temple. Once again, the Zhuchi seemed to be waiting for him,
and so was his aide.

“Word
spreads quickly in this city.” Lin sighed. “What a waste of life.”

“Not
a waste. A sacrifice.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Whenever
a martial artist challenges a rival school, the teacher would send the weakest
student to battle him. If the student loses, he sends the next best, and so on,
until either the challenger is defeated or the teacher runs out of students. In
every bout, the teacher studies the challenger, identifying his strengths and
weaknesses. Should he ever have to fight the challenger, he would know how to
deal with him. It’s the same principle here.”

“Han
sent his men to die just to learn how you fight?” Huang asked.

“If
they couldn’t kill me, that would be his backup plan,” Zhang replied.

Lin
sighed. “Exactly as I expected of him.”

“It
sounds like you know something about Han.”

Lin
cleared his throat. “Han has a reputation for cruelty and barbarism. This
merely reinforces our perceptions of him.”

Zhang
narrowed his eyes. “I see.”

“But
enough of such somber talk,” Lin said. “Surely you didn’t come here to talk
about the fight.”

Zhang
shook his head. “Indeed. I wish to report that Suchen Temple has been cleared.”

Lin
bowed. “Thank you. And the wangliang?”

“They
didn’t suffer.”

Huang
frowned. Lin simply sighed.

“That
was the best we could hope for,” Lin said.

“There
were humans with the wangliang too.”

“Humans?
Really? What were they doing?”

“They
were helping the wangliang shaman to summon an infernal spirit.”

“How?”

Zhang
described what he saw. Huang went pale. Lin simply frowned.

“That
is troubling,” Lin said.

“Do
you know of any groups who might be cooperating with wangliang? The Tiandi
Lianhe Association, perhaps?”

The
monks exchanged a glance.

“The
temple needs to be reconsecrated,” Lin said. “You may have stopped the
summoning, but the remaining evil qi will darken the minds of humans in
the area, and it may allow lesser spirits to leak through from the infernal
realm. We must leave at once. Will you escort us?”

The
monk was avoiding the question, but in this city the walls had ears. He could
revisit the question at the temple.

“I
shall be pleased to escort you to the temple,” Zhang said.

Lin
beamed. “Thank you, Your Excellency.”

#

Out
of deference to the monks, Zhang hired a horse cart. At the foot of the hill,
Zhang paid the driver to stay put, and led the monks to the temple. Two men in
black armor stood guard at the temple gates. One of them held up his hand.

Ouyang
squinted and smiled. “Zhang Wudi! It’s good to see you again. What
brings you here?”

Zhang
led the monks to the guards.

“We
are here to reconsecrate the temple,” Lin said.

Ouyang
nodded. “I was wondering when that would happen. It’s a real mess in there.
Zhuchi, I’m glad you’re here.”

“What’s
the situation?” Zhang asked.

“I
have two men on guard in the temple and two more on patrol in the forest. No
sign of rebels or yaomo since you left.”

“Really?
I was attacked in the city. No one came back here?”

Ouyang
frowned. “Attacked? How?”

Zhang
recounted the fight. Ouyang rubbed his chin.

“That
is strange,” Ouyang said. “If they knew you were in the city, why weren’t
they prepared for your assault on the temple?”

“Perhaps
that is why they summoned the infernal spirit,” Lin offered. “It’s the only
reliable way to fight a Shenwujun.”

“And
in case that failed, they had men waiting for me in the city,” Zhang mused.

“So…we
came all the way out here for nothing?” Ouyang asked.

Lin
shook his head. “No. You protected the temple from further desecration. For
this, I thank you.”

“No
problem. It’s a nice break from running all over the countryside.”

Zhang
followed the monks inside the temple. It was still the same as he had left it.
Dried blood caked the walls, floor and ceiling. The totems leered at the men.
The stench of death and rot lingered in the air. Huang gritted his teeth and
clenched his fists.

“Those...animals!”
Huang whispered. “They dare do this to a temple? To the Taifo?”

“Is
that so?” Lin asked, and gestured at the broken statue. “Is that the Taifo? Or
is that simply a statue of the Taifo?”

Huang
closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Zhuchi,
it is a statue of the Taifo.”

“Will
destroying a statue destroy the Taifo?”

“No,
Zhuchi.”

“Do
we need a temple to pray to the Taifo? Or can we practice his teachings
anywhere?”

“Zhuchi,
we can practice anywhere.”

“Very
good. Why do we pray to the Taifo?”

“To
show our respect to the Taifo, to cultivate compassion for all sentient beings,
and to remind ourselves to walk the Middle Way.”

“So
it is. Will destroying a statue or desecrating a temple diminish our respect
for the Taifo, cause us to lose compassion for all sentient beings, or make us
stray from the Middle Way?”

“No,
Zhuchi.”

Lin
beamed. “Why, there is no need for anger then, is there?”

Huang
smiled gently. “No, Zhuchi.”

“Excellent.”
Lin clapped his hands. “Come! We have work to do.”

Zhang
had helped the monks store their equipment in his interspatial ring. They
retrieved bundles of incense sticks, a lamp, a brazier, a pair of vases filled
with flowers, and a bell. Together, they cleaned up the altar, removed the
offending totems, and placed the lamp, brazier and flowers in front of the
statue. Zhang lit the lamp, and Huang ignited the incense sticks.

“You
may pray with us if you like,” Lin said, “but please remain silent.”

Zhang
accepted a bunch of incense sticks and stood well clear of the monks.

Lin
rang the bell three times. The monks bowed to the defaced statue. Lin set the
bell on the altar, and Huang passed him a few sticks. For a moment, there was
silence. Then Lin spoke.

“Sentient
beings who have passed away in this place, we have come to honor you. May you
be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow. May you be free from suffering
and the causes of suffering. May you find peace and be the cause of peace.

“May
the Taifo guide you to the Pure Land, where you may find enlightenment and be
liberated from the Wheel of Life. Should you be reborn into an impure land or a
lower order of being, may you quickly accumulate sufficient merit to rise above
your suffering.

“Away!
Away! Be at peace!”

The
monks bowed again. One by one, the men placed three sticks of incense in the
brazier. Huang and Zhang returned to their positions, while Lin took up the
bell. The bell chimed once, and the monks began chanting, invoking the name of
the Taifo and a host of other enlightened and divine beings.

Their
voices reverberated in the temple, transitioning into a series of sutras. Lin
rang the bell at regular intervals, keeping time. Hot ash fell on Zhang’s hand.
He blew it off and remained silent. The air grew lighter, the world brighter. A
cool breeze blew, carrying away the worst of the odor. The incense covered up
the rest. The oppressive qi dissipated, leaving only the natural qi
of the world.

“Away!
Away! Be awakened!”

A
final chime. The monks bowed once more, and the men inserted their remaining
incense sticks into the brazier.

“There
is much work to do,” Lin said. “We must hire artisans and laborers to repair
the damage. Xiao Huang, please inspect the exterior of the temple and
record any damage you find. I will take care of the interior.”

“Yes,
Zhuchi.”

The
younger monk left. The elder bowed to Zhang.

“Thank
you for indulging an old man’s whims.”

“It
is no trouble at all, Zhuchi.”

“Now
we may speak freely. I imagine you want to know more about the Tiandi Lianhe
Association.”

Zhang
nodded. “What do you know about them?”

“We
are right across the border from the Union. Yaomo and bandits roamed the land,
preying on farmers, merchants and isolated villages. The people formed a
self-defense group to protect themselves. But over time...its purpose changed.”

“How?”

“Ten
years ago, a man named Han Wenguang joined the Association and rose to the top.
He said that we’ve been warring with the Union for over a hundred years, with
no end in sight. Instead of fighting them, we should make peace with them. But
his idea of ‘peace’ was fan Yong fu Guang. He thought that a restored
Guang dynasty would be more willing to make peace with the Union. His ideas
were met with widespread support.”

“Why
did the people support him?”

“This
is the frontier. Parents regularly send their sons to die along the border.
Many bloodlines have ended at the point of a Union spear. Taxes are high, and
three-tenths of the grain harvest goes to the military. The people have
precious little left, and are desperate enough that they will turn to banditry
to support themselves and their families.”

“What
did the bureaucracy do?”

“Nothing.
The people have been urging changes in imperial policy for years, but...”

Lin
shrugged. To say any more in the presence of a Shenwujun was to risk an
automatic death sentence.

Zhang
nodded. “And what did Han do?”

“Everything
a man shouldn’t. He eliminated all dissent inside the Association, then turned
it into a rebel group. He raided Army units for their weapons and supplies,
robbed traders and innocent travelers, attacked government officials... But you
know all this by now, don’t you?”

“Yes,
but how did you know all this?”

“I
was part of the Tiandi Lianhe Association, back when it was only a self-defense
force. Almost every able-bodied man was. I rose to the rank of corporal. Then
Han sent us out on missions to attack tax collectors and people who criticized
the Association. The last straw came when Han proposed a partnership with the
frontier wangliang. He said they gifted him a magic sword, and they promised to
teach us magic. It was a betrayal of everything we stood for. I exchanged my
spear for the robes and never looked back.”

“The
wangliang must have finally taught him how to summon infernal spirits.”

“And
so, he has discarded the last of his humanity. Such is the fate of those who
bargain with infernal spirits.” Lin shook his head. “He must be stopped.”

“Where
can I find him?”

Lin
raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know anything about them now. With all your
encounters with the Tiandi Lianhe Association, have you not had the opportunity
to take one alive?”

“I
didn’t have a choice.”

“I
suppose you truly have no living enemies, Zhang Wudi.”

“My
bond-spirit grants me her power only so long as I destroy evil.”

“Yes,
but it doesn’t necessarily mean destroying lives, does it?”

“I
don’t understand.”

“Evil
intent paired with ability gives rise to evil deeds. Eliminate this evil
intent, or take away the ability to act, and you destroy evil. You don’t have
always have to resort to violence and killing.”

“Perhaps
you still might. Yaomo and bandits were reported in the Wangzheng valley. Are
you familiar with it?”

Lin
pursed his lips. “In my time, we discovered a cave network in Fu Hill. It led
through the hill into Union territory. Smugglers and infiltrators used the
caves regularly. We built an outpost there to intercept them. The outpost was
supposed to have been handed over to the local garrison five years ago, but...”

“The
rebels have pushed the troops out of the valley,” Zhang finished. “Do you think
the Tiandi Lianhe Association might have taken it back?”

“Perhaps.
It explains how so many wangliang were able to enter the Empire so easily and
so stealthily.”

“And
the wangliang might have rewarded Han by teaching him how to summon infernal
spirits,” Zhang said.